Change of Heart
by ChaoticBlue1314
Summary: After the war, Harry, Hermione and Snape put their past differences behind them and form an unlikely friendship.
1. Chapter 1

Hi guys, this is only the second story I've ever written, so I'm very new to all of this! Still, I hope you enjoy this story, and please review so I can improve! Thanks (:

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

 _Lily sat facing him, cross-legged on the ground. She picked up a fallen twig and twirled it in the air, imagining sparks trailing from it. Then she dropped the twig and looked anxiously at him, saying, "Does it make a difference, being Muggle-born?"_

 _He hesitated, then shook his head. "No, it doesn't make any difference." He paused for a moment, "Besides, you needn't worry. You've got loads of magic. I saw that. All the time I was watching you…" A dull flush mounted on his sallow cheeks as he stared at his shoelaces. They sat there for a few moments in a comfortable silence._

 _"Severus?" A little smile twisted his mouth when she said his name. He looked up, but instead of finding the bright green eyes and red hair he had expected, he found himself staring into warm chocolate eyes, and he saw the familiar brown bushy curls. His eyes widened, and so did his smile. The coral lips moved again. "Professor?"_

His eyes sprang open. He blinked, once, twice, as the blurred images around him slowly came into focus. Once again, he found himself staring into warm chocolate eyes. He quirked an eyebrow and drawled, "Miss Granger, what are you doing here…" He frowned and paused, confused. "Why, may I ask, am I in the Hospital Wing?"

"Professor Snape, sir." Another voice said respectfully from his other side.

He turned to the boy with the emerald green eyes who was watching him respectfully. Narrowing his eyes, he drawled, "Potter, what a surprise." Turning back to Hermione, he said sardonically, "It must be the end of the world – for once you have not jumped at any question thrown at you. Let me ask you again, what am I doing in the Hospital Wing?"

But again, it was Harry who spoke up. "Sir," he said respectfully, "The war has ended. Tom Riddle is dead. You were bitten by Nagini, but luckily we got you here in time. Your wounds have almost healed now, and it has only been seven hours. We've been sitting here since we brought you here and no one else has seen you. Professor McGonagall knows you're alive though, and everyone knows you're innocent. They heard me when I was buying time with Tom."

Snape closed his eyes and groaned painfully as the memory of the last hours before Nagini's attack rushed past his mind. Hermione finally spoke, "Professor, are you alright?"

In an attempt to escape the overwhelming facts he had just learnt, he spat, "Where's the dunderhead Weasley? He of all people should be with you, Granger, unless I am mistaken that you two are dating. And what are you two doing here anyway?"

Hermione's eyes clouded with sorrow as she lowered her gaze and answered, "He's with his family. Fred is gone."

He heart clenched unexpectedly at the image of the forlorn girl in front of him, and he surprised everyone, even himself by saying in a low voice, "I'm sorry."

Hearing this, Hermione looked up and smiled sadly. "We thought it best to let the family grieve without outsiders there, so we didn't stay with him. We told him to look for us when he was ready. And yes, we are dating."

He looked at them skeptically and said, "And so you decided to come visit your greasy old Potions professor. How nice."

Harry leaned forward, staring into his obsidian eyes, and said, "Yes, Professor, but no, you're not our 'greasy old Potions professor'. You saved our lives, especially mine, more times than I can count. I owe my life you, and so do many other people. It was only because of you that we could win this war. You are our saviour." Beside him, Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Why, Potter, the mean dungeon bat could hardly be the one who saved the mighty Chosen One," he drawled.

Harry shook his head in earnest. "Please, Professor, I understand why you were the way you were, and I was at fault too. I never gave you the respect you deserved. But now, the war is over. You don't have to keep up the pretense anymore, and as for me, I know the truth now, and I really appreciate all that you have done for me and for the Wizarding World. I am truly sorry for how I have treated you. Please can you forgive me and put the past behind us? I won't be able to live with myself if you don't forgive me and I don't get to know you properly. The real you, you without the mask of a Death Eater and a spy." He reached over and laid his hand on his arm.

At the sudden contact, his head jerked up in alarm, and he saw the truth shining in the emerald eyes he had inherited from his mother. He lowered his head again, thinking furiously. Beside him, Hermione smiled gently and held his large hand in hers, saying, "Yes, professor, I would really like to get to know you too. You saved our lives, and everything wouldn't be the same without you."

The gentle touch made him look up again, and he saw the fervent hope in the chocolate eyes. His heart softened. Turning away, he muttered grudgingly, "Getting to know the Boy Who Lived Twice and the Gryffindor bookworm can hardly be more unpleasant than serving the Dark Lord and that meddling old coot Dumbledore at the same time."

The relief on Harry's face was apparent as he finally relaxed into his chair and thanked him with genuine gratitude. Hermione said happily, "Thank you so much, Professor! I always told Harry and Ron, you really weren't that bad." Snape snorted as Harry and Hermione chuckled beside him. _This isn't too bad,_ he thought. _At least Potter respects me now, and Granger can be quite amusing._

At this moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled in and saw him awake. She turned towards the two teenagers and demanded, "Why didn't you tell me immediately after he woke up? Now get out, both of you. Get out!" Harry and Hermione immediately sprang up and left after apologizing profusely and bidding him goodbye, with the promise that they would visit again soon.

After this, Harry and Hermione visited him every day. They had decided to stay at Hogwarts to help with the repair work, mainly because they wanted to help, but also because they wanted to escape from the publicity outside the walls of Hogwarts. Madam Pomfrey said that he had to stay in the Hospital Wing for at least a month to get the venom from Nagini's bite completely out of his system. With no other visitors apart from the occasional ones from Professor McGonagall, he was glad to have the two of the Golden Trio visit him daily. He had started to enjoy their company. Harry usually just sat and listened while he and Hermione chatted, sometimes helping Madam Pomfrey with the potions or meals. He realized that Hermione was really quite knowledgeable. All those years he had undermined her knowledge and wisdom, but now that he really talked to her, he found her quite interesting to talk to, with a deep understanding to the many things they talked about, and she had developed well thought of views on such topics. This came as a pleasant surprised to him, and before they knew it, they had developed a comfortable companionship.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi guys, here is the second chapter! Hope you enjoy! Thank you so much for the follows, favourites and reviews so far. Please let me know what you think! (:

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

One day, after a particularly in-depth discussion on the Wolfsbane potion, Snape found himself once again marveling at Hermione's knowledge of the subject. Hermione, too, enjoyed the discussion immensely. Leaving the Hospital Wing in high spirits, she proposed having a drink with Harry at Hog's Head. Laughing and joking, the memories of the war pushed to the back of their minds, they strolled leisurely under the midsummer night sky through Hogsmeade. Harry pushed open the door into Hog's Head, still laughing, and then suddenly, he froze, his smile sliding of his face, replaced by cold fury.

"Harry? What's wrong?" Hermione asked, concerned at his sudden anger. He didn't answer as he strode purposefully into the pub. Hermione's eyes followed his direction of movement, and what she saw made her heart clench painfully as she stood rooted to the spot, tears threatening to spill. In the dark corner of the pub was Ron with his arms around none other than Lavender Brown, his lips glued to hers, apparently oblivious to the world around them.

Harry strode over and wrenched the two apart as Hermione joined them. Lavender squealed when she saw who had arrived and cowered in her chair. Harry was livid as he punched Ron in the face. Ron staggered but righted himself, as he demanded angrily, "What was that for?"

Turning, his eyes widened when he saw Hermione, and his cheeks flushed. "What was that for? How could you do that to Hermione? How could you cheat on her?"

Ron flushed even darker. He snapped, "Why do you care anyway? I doubt Hermione herself cares. It has been almost a month and she hasn't looked for me. Fred died, and none of you bothered to come and comfort me. Lav was the only one who came to comfort me, have a drink with me while you two went to sit with that greasy git who really should have died and done the world a favour."

Swallowing her hurt, unwilling to let Ron see her tears, Hermione said coldly, "Don't you dare say a word against _Professor Snape_ , Ronald."

"What? You used to hate him, and now you're defending him? Come on, 'Mione, I can forgive you for not caring about me, but you don't have to tell me how much you love Snape," Ron said, convinced that Hermione was only defending Snape to make him jealous.

"Professor Snape is my professor, Ronald, but if you really like to think that way, then fine. He is a hundred times more of a man than you are. And you're right. I really couldn't care less who you snog. We're over, Ronald."

Ron's ears went a dangerous shade of red as he growled, "You go too far, Hermione. I gave you the chance to apologise. I'm part of this relationship too, you have no right to end it just like that." He moved forward menacingly, wand raised, mouth opened in an ugly snarl.

" _Protego!_ " An invisible shield burst forth from Harry's wand, separating Hermione and Ron, the force of it knocking Ron to the ground. Without another word, he put an arm around Hermione and Apparated into Hogwarts since the wards have not been put back up after the war.

Harry could feel Hermione's sobs wracking through her body as she repeated over and over to him, "I loved him. I loved him. _I loved him._ " When the evening grew cold and she finally looked up, Harry's heart broke. Her eyes, puffy and red from the crying, were empty and listless, as though all the emotion and life in them had escaped with her tears.

Three months after the war, Hogwarts was fully repaired and returned to its former glory. It was announced in the Daily Prophet that school would start as usual on September the first. Professor Snape had fully recovered, and had one again taken up the position of Potions Master and intimidating but fairer than before Dungeon Bat. All of the old professors remained to teach under Professor McGonagall's leadership.

The students in Harry's year were allowed to attend another year of school to make up for the year lost in the war, and to take their NEWT exams. It was not compulsory, but most of them returned, determined to graduate from Hogwarts as survivors of the war. Harry returned, as he had to take NEWTs in order to become an Auror. Ron also returned so that he could stay close to Lavender. Hermione, unwilling as she was to be in the place where so many people had died and to be near Ron, had no idea what to do with her life now that she no longer had to protect the saviour of the world and she didn't even have Ron anymore. Heartbroken, she chose the only logical thing: work, work and more work. While the average student might do at most five NEWTs, she took all the subjects she took for OWLs in hopes that she could return some normalcy into her life with something so inherent in her. All the eighth-years had single rooms due to their age, and Hermione utilised this fully, shutting herself in her room all week and studying non-stop.

As time passed, however, Hermione's heartbreak did not grow any less, and the memories of the war came back to haunt her in her dreams. All the work she was doing also started to weigh on her. Her eyes, ever empty and listless, had dark circles under them, and on the rare occasion in which they showed signs of life, they looked haunted. She smiled and laughed like she used to, but her laughter never reached her eyes. Her work was still flawless, but she no longer volunteered to answer questions. Harry noticed, of course, but Hermione wouldn't even talk to him like she used to anymore. She did her best to avoid company and attention. For three months this went on, and there was nothing anyone could do.

Snape, on the other hand, was enjoying life immensely. He no longer had to constantly watch his back, and staff and students alike treated him like a war hero. This newfound respect put him in a constant good mood, and while he still swept around like an overgrown bat and found pleasure in intimidating people, he was fairer and happier than he had ever been. That was, until he noticed how badly Hermione was dealing. She had stopped visiting him, and Harry saw no reason to spend time with him alone if only to sit in awkward silence. While he missed their company, he missed even more the conversations he had with Hermione, and how she never failed to leave him in a good mood. He was a proud man, and he would never ask her to visit him, but Hermione's state worried him more than he cared to admit.


	3. Chapter 3

Woohoo! Chapter 3! Hope you guys like it! And thank you so much for the support! You don't know how happy every email i receive about a new follower/favourite/review makes me, especially since I'm doing my public exams now!

In response to the Guest who posted a review yesterday, as Hermione mentioned, they were giving Ron and his family space to grieve as a family, and though it is understandable that he misunderstood, I think a better way to deal with it would be to talk to them instead of cheating on Hermione? Just my thoughts! And sorry I had to reply here, as I can't reply to Guest reviews privately.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!

To celebrate the end of the war after a few months of nation-wide mourning and repair, the Ministry of Magic decided to revive the tradition of the Hogwarts Yule Ball. Anyone was allowed to attend as the Ministry believed "the more the merrier". It would be compulsory for all war heroes to attend, as the Minister believed it would boost the people's morale. It was because of this that Harry, Hermione, Snape and everyone else who survived the war found themselves all gathered in the magically expanded Great Hall on Christmas Eve. Much to Harry's and Snape's displeasure, Ron turned up with Lavender in his arms, but with almost half of the Wizarding World there, they decided against making a scene.

As expected, the members of the once Golden Trio couldn't escape being the centre of attention. Ron, of course, grasped this opportunity to show off his new girlfriend to the world, happy that he was finally not overshadowed. Holding Lavendar close, he lead her onto the dance floor and entertained the crowds with dance after dance, flaunting their relationship for the whole room to see. Harry, while uncomfortable with being singled out again, was used to the constant attention, and was able to face the crowd and the press with ease and confidence. This, however, left Hermione to fend for herself against the unwanted attention. While she greeted everyone politely and smiled graciously at whomever she talked to, her smile never reached her eyes. Instead, her eyes flitted across the dance floor, following Ron's every move, her pain barely concealed under her charm. It wasn't that she wished to be in Lavender's place. No, she was glad she was rid of him, but it still hurt that she could be thrown aside and forgotten so easily. She just wished that the night would end soon, but time was not working in her favour.

Across the hall, Snape was being his usual intimidating self. Having scared off more than half of the guests with his fearsome glares and dealt with those brave enough to approach him with less-than-polite snarls, he was finally able to have a drink in the corner of the hall. He scanned the room, wishing for the thousandth time that he were anywhere but there. His eyes paused over the lithe figure that was Hermione, appreciating not for the first time that she had grown into a beautiful woman. Frowning, he shook his head to clear his mind of the thought. That was when he realised how her eyes were screaming pain and fatigue. His heart ached for her, once again surprising himself. The people had finally backed off, leaving Hermione to stare unseeing into the distance. His expression hardening, he moved towards her, families and friends parting in front of him when they saw his frown. Stopping directly in beside Hermione, he placed his hand on her shoulder. Hermione started, then turned to gaze questioningly at him. His eyes softened, but his voice remained curt as he commanded in a low voice, "Dance with me." Without giving her time to respond, he swept her onto the dance floor just as the band struck up a fast song.

Pulling Hermione close to him, he surprised everyone in the room by his unexpectedly graceful moves. He spun Hermione and dipped her with apparent ease, leaving Hermione breathless. He smirked, pleased with himself, and continued to lead Hermione across the dance floor, completely oblivious to the fact that hundreds of pairs of eyes were trained on them. As they twirled around with the confidence and ease of a well-matched couple, the sparkle seemed to return to Hermione's eyes as she matched Snape step for step with her elegant moves. The song played on, the couple completely immersed in each other's presence. They moved as one, their eyes never leaving the other, sparks passing between them. It was wild, passionate and sensual, the way their bodies moved and responded to each other. All too soon, the song ended as the pair struck a final pose, eyes still fixed in an intense stare. It left Hermione breathless and flushing, mind reeling from the intensity of the moment and her own emotions, and the unfamiliar feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. Snape's face, too, was tinged pink, a strange glint in his eyes and the long-forgotten emotions he had only ever harboured for Lily threatening to burst forth.

A furious growl broke their gaze, and they hastily stepped away from each other to turn to the source of the interruption. Ron was glaring at them, his face turning redder and redder by the second. "I thought so," he snarled. "I always knew there was something going on between you two. Thank Merlin I dumped you, Hermione, I honestly don't know what I saw in you."

Hermione's eyes narrowed with rage as she stepped forward, ignoring the whispers around her and spat, "In case you forgot, _Ronald_ , I caught you cheating on me and dumped you, not the other way round. And honestly can you be a bit more creative with your empty accusations? Anyone in his right mind would know that Professor Snape would never have a less-than-professional relationship with a student. And for your information, he has been nothing but the perfect gentleman to me, unlike you."

Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes, so she turned and stormed out of the Great Hall and back to her dormitory. Finally understanding the cause to Hermione's strange behaviour these past few months, Snape suddenly found himself filled with rage. He took one threatening step towards Ron and said in a dangerous voice, "You would do well to stay away from her from now on." Giving Ron a withering glare that made him step back in fear, he turned and stalked away, his famous cloak billowing out behind him.

That night, Hermione found herself sobbing her heart out again, but it wasn't Ron's words or his flaunting of his relationship that ran through her mind. It was the sudden understanding of her rampant emotions when she realised that she enjoyed the dance way too much for her own good and that her words to Ron were the undeniable truth: Snape would never look at her as more than a student.

Snape, too, was faced with similar problems as he tossed and turned in his bed, unable to find a comfortable position. Hermione was heartbroken, and she would never look at him as more than a professor. And the last time he had felt these emotions, these _feelings_? The woman had ended up dead. But still, if he couldn't be her lover, he was determined to at least be her friend.

Hermione's sleep that night was plagued with nightmares of Snape sneering at her and rejecting her, and she woke many times with tears streaming down her face. The next morning, she woke up feeling like she hadn't slept at all. She was determined to guard her emotions carefully but also to rekindle the friendship she had with Snape before she broke up with Ron. She had only Harry to turn to, but Harry was still only a young man who had his own problems to deal with. She was desperate for a friend.

She trudged down to breakfast alone before anyone had even woken up. After the scene last night, she honestly didn't feel like facing the whispers and stares of the students again, especially not when her eyes were still puffy and red from all the crying. Not feeling like having any food, she grabbed the pitcher of pumpkin juice when she heard Snape's silky baritone saying, "Miss Granger" before he slid into the seat next to her. He glanced at her face, and his heart sank, thinking that she spent the night crying over Ron. Keeping his face cautiously emotionless, he said, "Allow me" before taking the pitcher and pouring them each a goblet.

"Professor," Hermione said nervously. "You shouldn't be sitting here. People are already talking, and I don't want to give them another reason to say things about us."

Keeping his face impassive, Snape replied, "Let them talk. I shall have breakfast with whomever I please. Unless you do not want my company, of course." At this, he raised an amused eyebrow, although his heart was hammering, not ready for a rejection.

Hermione couldn't help herself, she snorted into her goblet of juice and rolled her eyes at the smirk on Snape's face. Making up her mind, she steeled herself and asked, "I read an article the other day about the side effects of the Dreamless Sleep potion and I was wondering if we could discuss it tonight after dinner."

Snape looked at her, seeing the hope and uncertainty flicker in her eyes, and allowed the corners of his mouth to turn upwards. "That would be acceptable." With that, he downed his pumpkin juice and rose to return to his quarters, his heart considerably lighter than it had been when he first woke. Hermione, too, had a spring in her step as she walked back to her dormitory, determined not to let what people say get to her.


	4. Chapter 4

Hi guys, chapter 4! Please tell me what you think, reviews really help me improve! Thank you for those who have reviewed/favourited/followed! Hope you enjoy this one (:

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

As the term progressed, Harry, Hermione and Professor Snape rekindled their previous friendship, with Snape even offering to tutor Harry in Potions. Hermione, being the bright witch that she is, devoured more and more books, and spent many evenings discussing various aspects of magic with Snape in his quarters. Harry would sometimes join them and they would open a bottle of Firewhiskey and talk late into the night, having discovered over the weeks how much they all enjoyed the drink. Weeks passed, and the three were quickly becoming fast friends, with Hermione's intelligence complementing Snape's sharp mind, and Harry's stubbornness matching Snape's perfectly, leading to very interesting, and sometimes heated, debates. This friendship between them was highly fulfilling and educational, even for Snape, and yet both Hermione and Snape could not help the heartache that followed each conversation. Harry, being the sensitive one, sensed that something was missing, and he was determined to find out what it was that was making both Hermione and Snape more dejected by the day.

Harry could see that Hermione was hiding under a mask of happiness, and every time they left Snape's quarters for the night, Hermione became more withdrawn. Likewise, while Snape seemed to be his usual snarky self on the outside, Harry noticed that his eyes were more guarded, and he often stared into the fire with his eyebrows furrowed, seemingly lost in thought. He observed how Hermione's eyes would linger on Snape, and how when they toasted their friendship, a flicker of sadness would appear in her eyes. He observed how Snape would allow a smile to form on his lips whenever he spoke to Hermione, and how his face would fall, however slightly, when Hermione wasn't looking. Harry thought he knew what was going on.

One night, when Harry and Hermione were the only ones left studying in the Gryffindor Common Room, Harry decided to confront Hermione about her feelings. "Hermione, you know you can talk to me, right? Whatever's bothering you about Snape. I know there must be something."

Hermione looked at him, alarmed, then avoided his eye. "What are you talking about, Harry? Nothing's bothering me."

"C'mon, Hermione, I've known you for seven years. Do you honestly think I can't read you by now?" Harry was determined to get a confession out of her.

Still unwilling to meet his eye, Hermione said, "What do you mean?"

Harry took Hermione's hand and said gently, "You like him."

Hermione gasped, her eyes filling with tears as she met Harry's eye imploringly, shaking her head. She started sobbing, the shock of being found out and the strong belief that Snape would never return her feelings becoming too much for her to handle. Harry wrapped his arms around her and promised himself that he would bring them together no matter what.

Harry was convinced that Hermione's feelings were returned, but before he did anything rash, he had to make sure that he hadn't misread Snape's emotions. After Potions the next day, he went up to Snape and said, "Professor, can you please teach me Legilimency? I think it will be a very useful if I become an Auror." To be honest, he didn't even know whether he really wanted to be an Auror, but a little lie wouldn't hurt anyone.

Snape raised an eyebrow and looked at him coolly. Harry forced himself to stare back as blankly as he could. Seemingly satisfied that Harry isn't up to no good, Snape nodded and said, "We shall begin tonight."

That night, Harry went to Snape's office for his first lesson. "Before you can learn Legilimency, you must first master Occlumency. In order to enter another's mind and leave unscathed, you must first strengthen your own mind. The mind is a complex, many-layered thing, and meddling with it is very dangerous. You have experienced the dangers of not being able to Occlude, but now I tell you, you will never accomplish Legilimens without a very strong foundation of Occlumency. Now, we will begin. You know what you have to do. Clear you mind, empty your thoughts and remove any emotions. _Legilimens._ "

Immediately, Harry felt the familiar feeling of memories flashing past in his mind like a flickering film. This time, however, he was prepared for it. He focused memory by memory on Hermione, how her eyes lit up when Snape looked at her appraisingly, how her face fell when Snape was being particularly scathing, and at last, how she silently admitted to liking Snape. Harry could feel Snape losing his grip on his mind as the shock of what he was seeing distracted him completely. Grasping his chance, Harry forced his way back into Snape's mind, watching as memory after memory flitted through his mind until he found Hermione. He saw how Snape's attention always lingered on her, how he allowed himself to smile at her, and how he dreamt always of her brown eyes and gentle smile.

Having confirmed his suspicions, Harry forced himself to pull out of his mind. He staggered back from the effort, waiting for the blow that was sure to come for invading Snape's privacy. Unexpectedly, the blow never came. Snape was staring at him, a strange glint in his eyes as he traced his thin lips with his finger. "It seems that you are not so inept at controlling your mind," Snape said slowly. Turning until his back was facing Harry, he asked, "What I saw just now, is it true?"

Harry swallowed and replied quietly, "Yes, sir."

Snape nodded. "Thank you. We will leave it there for tonight." With that, he went into his quarters without looking back, closely the door silently behind him. Harry knew that Snape understood what was going on, so he went back to his room, eager to see what Snape would do, hopeful that he had done the right thing and that everything would turn out fine.

Back in his quarters, Snape was pacing to and fro in his bedroom. On the one hand, he was glad to know that his feelings were returned. On the other hand, he didn't know what to do. Being solitary for so many years meant that he had little to no experience in matters of the heart. One thing he was sure of though, now that he knew he wasn't alone in this, he was determined to pursue Hermione. He was determined to have the happy life that he hadn't been able to have all those years as a spy. It didn't matter that he was her professor. Hermione was of age and there were no rules stating that professor-student relationships were not allowed. It didn't matter that he was so much older. If Hermione could love him, who was he to deny himself the chance of being loved and of loving? He was going to have Hermione, and there was no doubt about it. With that thought it mind, he fell for the first time in ages into a deep, untroubled sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Finally, the last chapter! Please everyone tell me what you liked/disliked about the story so that I can improve next time! And thank you so much to those who reviewed/favourited/followed so far (:

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

The next morning, as Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall for breakfast, she found a piece of parchment appear on her plate. _Hermione_ , it read, _my quarters. Tonight at 8. Severus Snape_.Hermione knew that this was Professor Snape's way of inviting her for a drink. She chanced a glance at the Head Table, but Snape was seemingly engrossed in the Daily Prophet. She wondered what it could be about. He had never invited her to his quarters like that before. For the rest of the day, she was nervous and on edge. She knew that it must be something very important, and she both looked forward to and dreaded 8pm.

At 8pm sharp, Hermione rapped her knuckles sharply on Snape's door, a vision of calm but her heart hammering. Immediately, the door swung open, and Snape invited her in, looking – could he be nervous? Hermione stepped cautiously into the room, feeling that for some reason her life was going to change dramatically that night. Not for the first time, Hermione wondered at how homely Snape's room looked. There were bookshelves lining most of the walls, with books on all topics piled up to their highest shelves. In front of the fire were three comfortable-looking armchairs and a couch that Snape, Harry and herself so often occupied. She had always felt safe and at home here. This night, however, something felt different.

"Please, sit." Snape gestured towards the armchairs and turned to get a drink for them. Hermione observed that while his face remained impassive, his hands shook ever so slightly as he handed her a glass of Firewhiskey.

They sat there in silence for a long time, Hermione waiting for Snape to speak and Snape trying to muster the courage to actually talk. "Hermione," Snape began. Hermione looked up into his eyes and Snape stopped short. For the first time, he could see the honesty and adoration shining in her eyes.

He was beginning to get lost in those beautiful chocolate pools when Hermione ducked her head, smiling shyly and said, "You called me Hermione, Professor. That's the second time now if you include the note from this morning."

Warmth erupted in Snape's chest as he returned her smile. Taking hold of her hand, he said, "Then call me Severus."

Hermione gasped and looked up. Snape forced himself to let go of the walls that normally surrounded his heart and allow his own emotions to shine through in his eyes. Hermione searched his face for a long time, and then as though finding what she was looking for, she nodded, eyes shining. "Severus," she said slowly, as though tasting the sound of it. Snape smiled and cupped her cheek, asking for permission with his eyes. When Hermione leaned forward, he met her in the middle as their lips met for the first time in a slow, gentle kiss.

Snape was in heaven. He had never really enjoyed kissing a girl before, and in truth he had never felt the desire to do so after Lily had died, but now he felt as though he could stay this way forever, reveling in the feel of the soft lips on his. Hermione, too, was lost in the kiss. Snape was unexpectedly gentle, his arms holding around her protectively, his lips soothing and unhurried. Before things got too passionate, however, they pulled back, breathless and blushing. Guiding Hermione to sit on the couch with him, Snape couldn't believe how affected he was by her. Hermione snuggled closely to his side, feeling truly happy for the first time in months. There were discussions to be had and decisions to be made, but for now, they were content to simply hold each other.

When Hermione got back to the Common Room, she found Harry waiting up for her. He was grinning at her, looking very pleased as he said, "Seeing as you are looking happier than you have for months, I take it that you are together?"

Hermione blushed and nodded. "We have to keep it quiet for now though, we don't want people talking. We'll wait until after I graduate." Harry agreed and bid her goodnight, happy that his matchmaking was successful.

Over the next few months, Hermione returned to her studies with renewed fervour, and the friendship between Harry and Snape blossomed while the relationship between Hermione and Snape grew beautifully as they got to know one another even more and fell more and more in love with each passing moment they spent together. While Hermione was still a student, however, they refrained from doing anything that if found out would jeopardise their reputation, and so they waited impatiently for Hermione's graduation day to arrive.

NEWTS were over and Hermione's graduation day finally arrived. She was both nervous and excited. It was the day when Snape and her would finally show the world and each other that they belong to one another. The entire year threw their hats in the air in celebration and magical fireworks exploded above their heads, when Hermione felt a strong arm wrap itself around her waist and pull her gently towards a warm, solid body. She turned, eyes sparkling when she saw Severus smiling down at her, and witnessed by the whole school, kissed him soundly on the lips, ignoring the gasps and giggles. Pulling back, Snape smirked as swept her up bridal style, and without a word carried her into the castle and into his quarters.

Once inside, Snape set Hermione down gently and pushed her against the door, one arm holding her still, the other arm picking up his wand and casting Silencing spells and Anti-intruder spells as his eyes bore into hers. Hermione gasped when she saw the smouldering look in his eyes, and her stomach fluttered in anticipation as the familiar heat pooled in her core. Snape leaned forward and captured her lips with his. When Hermione immediately opened up to allow him entrance, his nostrils flared and he pressed hard against her. Hermione moaned when she felt his hardness pushing against her stomach. She couldn't wait any more. She reached forward and started unbuttoning the many buttons on his robes, fingers fumbling. Seeing this as an unspoken invitation for him to undress Hermione as well, he began unfastening her robes. Before long, they were both standing in just their underwear. Silently, Snape led Hermione into his bedroom.

They stood facing each other, suddenly feeling nervous and shy. "May I?" Hermione asked, gesturing to the last piece of clothing that hid Snape from her. He nodded and closed his eyes. He was uncertain of what to expect. Surely a beautiful witch such as Hermione would have been with quite a few impressive men. He needn't have worried, however. Hermione gently lowered his boxers, her expression intent. "Wow," Hermione whispered, her eyes shining with admiration. Snape let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as relief flooded through him. Hermione wasn't disgusted by the body that was so much older than hers. In fact, the flushed cheeks and bright eyes told him that she was very much enjoying the view.

Slowly, almost reverently, Snape reached behind Hermione and unclasped her bra, letting it fall to the ground. His eyes widened as he took in her perfect globes in front of him. "Beautiful," he breathed. Hermione blushed even harder under the attention. Snape's hands landed on her hips and gently began to peel off her panties. He smirked when he saw how they clung to her wetness.

Finally completely naked, they stood back and admired the body in front of them. Suddenly, Hermione couldn't wait anymore. "Take me now, make me yours," she implored softly.

Snape swallowed and nodded. Gently, he picked her up and laid her down in his bed. Positioning himself at her entrance that was slick and wet and ready for him, he looked into her eyes and asked quietly, "Are you very sure about this? Once we do this, I won't be able to go back. You will be stuck with me forever. I-I love you."

Hermione smiled softly, tears glistening in her eyes, and replied, "I've never been more sure in my life. It's forever. I love you." She lowered her head, gazing at him through her eyelashes and continued timidly, "Be gentle, you're my first."

Snape's eyes widened as he realised how precious a gift Hermione was offering him, and his heart swelled with love for the beautiful woman in front of him. Determined to make this experience amazing for Hermione, he nodded and said, "Trust me."

"With all my heart," came the quiet reply.

The End.

Thank you for reading!


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